On September 27–28, the ProCheese Awards 2025 — the largest festival of cheese artistry in Ukraine — took place at Mystetskyi Arsenal.
The event brought together Ukrainian and international producers, leading experts, and more than 4,000 visitors.
As part of the festival, the national competition for the best Ukrainian cheese and the contest for the title of the country’s best cheesemonger were also held.
The organizers of ProCheese Awards 2025 are Ardis Group and the ProCheese Academy. The festival gathered 36 producers — from small artisanal family farms to renowned Ukrainian and international brands. They presented more than 200 varieties of cheese, as well as products and beverages that pair with it, offering guests a journey through a diversity of flavors and combinations.
The event welcomed more than 4,000 guests.
For them, a cheese market and food courts were operating, along with children’s areas and entertainment. Visitors also enjoyed masterclasses from gastro-experts and a live performance by the band KADNAY.
The jury of the national competitions included specialists from Ukraine, the United Kingdom, France, Poland, and Germany, who evaluated the participants and selected the country’s best cheese and cheesemonger, according to the ProCheese Awards 2025.
This year’s festival concept highlighted the fusion of fashion and cheese, with the slogan: “Your Cheese. Your Style. Your Taste.”
“This year we chose the theme Fashion Edition, because both fashion and cheese are about style, creativity, and taste. Just as new trends emerge in fashion, new products, pairings, and flavor experiences are born in cheesemaking. We wanted to show that cheese can be not only a product on a shelf, but also a true cultural phenomenon — an object of aesthetics and inspiration.
For Ukrainians, cheese is becoming a new language — one that opens new countries to us, and opens Ukraine to the world. It embodies both our local traditions and bold modern experiments that can surprise even the most discerning gourmets abroad. When we speak about cheese, we speak about creativity, authenticity, and the confidence of our country in its own voice. This is exactly how we want Ukraine to be seen and felt anew — through the prism of taste, beauty, and culture,” says Oksana Chernova, Co-Founder of the ProCheese Awards, judge at international cheese competitions, and founder and trainer of the ProCheese Academy.
National Cheese Competition
The festival served as a platform for the national competition for the best Ukrainian cheese. A total of 81 cheeses from producers across different regions of the country participated, including dairies located in frontline areas or territories that had been occupied during the full-scale invasion.
The winner was the goat cheese “Povnia” from the Yasna farmstead in the Kyiv region. In addition, 37 cheeses received gold, silver, and bronze awards.
Gold:
“Syrni Mandry” — “Tom” cheese
“Mamyn Syr” — “Darvaika” cheese
“Chesnykivska” — “Chesnykivskyi 50 Days” cheese
“Dooobra Ferma” — “Bikoz” cheese
“Syroman” — “Truffel” cheese
“European” — “Brunost with roasted walnuts and dried cranberries” cheese
Silver:
“Harbuzovyi Rai” — “Hoverla” cheese
“FermerOk” — “Posulskyi” cheese
“Jersey” — “Shveik” cheese
“Selyska” — “Selyskyi” cheese
“Chizarnia” — “Dovbysh” cheese
“Dooobra Ferma” — “Lehenda” cheese
“Mamyn Syr” — “Padre Romzha”cheese
“Chizarnia” — “Caciotta z triufelem” cheese
Bronze:
“Molfar” — “Rondel” cheese
“Syrni Mandry” — “Piccolo” cheese
“Shchedra Fermerska Rodyna” — “Gouda” cheese
“Shchedra Fermerska Rodyna” — “Monastyrskyi” cheese
“Chesnyi Syr” — “Gouda” cheese
“Chesnyi Syr” — “Raclette” cheese
“Chesnykivska” — “Chesnykivskyi 1 Month” cheese
“Chesnykivska” — “Norbert” cheese
“Dooobra Ferma” — “Yangol” cheese
“Kosivska” — “Caciocavallo” cheese
“Pastourelle” — “Altin Cheese Gold” cheese
“Cheese Way” — “Bakshtein” cheese
“Selyska Syrovarnia” — “Narcis Karpat” cheese
“Staryi Porytsk” — “Cheddar” cheese
“Dzhersai” — “Alpa” cheese
“WineTime” — “Jersey Noir” cheese
“Mamyn Syr” — “Ferkovanya” cheese
“Syroman” — “Vikhola” cheese
“Lel’” — “Smoked Mini Mozzarella” cheese
“Harbuzovyi Rai” — “Hodz” cheese
“Kyrylenko Family Cheese Atelier” — “Namazka z kozyachiogo syru”
“Zinka” — “Kozyachi shtuchki”
“Syrni Mandry” — “Lvivskyi Cheddar kavovyi”
Evaluation was carried out by cheese experts according to criteria that meet international standards. The panel of judges included Oksana Chernova (Ukraine), Gregory Giraudon (France), Paul Thomas (United Kingdom/Germany), Richard Paul (United Kingdom), and Jakub Maziarczyk (Poland).
National Cheesemonger Competition
A highlight of the festival’s second day was the final of the cheesemonger competition — a contest for professional cheese sellers. Participants competed in theory tests and blind tastings, created themed one-meter cheese platters and restaurant-style presentations, showcasing their skill and creativity.
The final was held in line with international cheesemonger competition practices, where experts selected three winners. The gold medal went to Bohdan Shevlyuha, cheesemonger of the Good Wine retail chain. Second and third places were awarded to Nataliia Palchak of Stanislavska Dairy and Serhii Tsymbal of Bad Boy store, respectively.
“There is remarkable progress compared to what I saw at the first ProCheese Awards Festival of Cheese Art in 2021. Ukrainian producers and cheesemongers are already reaching the level of their European colleagues,” shared Gregory Girodon, judge of cheese and cheesemonger competitions.
Fashion Component of the Festival
As part of the event, a fashion show of the cheese-themed clothing collection “Cheese Couture” by Ukrainian designers took place. The winner was Anna Kushnieryuk with her collection “Cheese Micro-Networks.”
The works were evaluated by representatives from the fields of media, culture, design, and art, including Iryna Tatarenko, Editor-in-Chief of Marie Claire Ukraine magazine and website; Nataliia Lukianets, fashion expert and expert of the Ukrainian Cultural Foundation; Antonina Belinska, creative director and designer of the TONIA brand, stylist, and costume artist; and Maryna Loseva, fashion expert.
Event Partners
Charity was an important focus of the festival. The event’s partner was the charitable foundation Shields Ukraine. Funds raised through interactive activities, raffles, and other charitable initiatives will be directed toward purchasing equipment for the rehabilitation department of a medical center of the National Guard of Ukraine.
The general partner of the festival was the fresh cheese brand Lel’, and the exclusive partner was Lactalis Ukraine, represented by the brand Président. ProCheese Awards 2025 was also supported by the Swiss-Ukrainian Quality FOOD Trade Programme, which ensured free participation for 20 artisanal cheesemakers and created a cinema zone showcasing the journey of milk from farm to table.
“Events such as the ProCheese Awards are a wonderful opportunity to celebrate the achievements of Ukrainian cheesemakers and dairy producers, as well as their contribution to the national market. They fulfill an extremely important mission — providing Ukrainians with safe and high-quality food. Cheesemaking is key to creating added value in the agricultural sector and is an important element of food security. It is Ukrainian artisanal cheesemakers who have put Ukraine on the global cheese map, winning numerous international awards. Their participation in global competitions and local fairs is consistently supported by Switzerland through the Swiss-Ukrainian Quality FOOD Trade Programme,”
said Jean Luc Bernasconi, Director of the Cooperation Programme of the Embassy of Switzerland in Ukraine.
Among the official partners were other well-known brands — Bergader, KOMO, and CHEESE CLUB, which treated guests to a true cheese extravaganza. The strategic partner of the event was the Union of Dairy Enterprises of Ukraine.
This year’s international partner was the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, which provided a national stand featuring Dutch brands Beemster and Boska.
Guests kept energized thanks to the exclusive coffee partner — IDEALIST COFFEE&CO, while the bar “Nanovo”, the event’s alcohol partner, ensured a lively atmosphere with sparkling drinks in every glass. The ambiance was further enriched by Ukrainian craft producers of cider, wine, and tea.
The festival’s mission is to develop a culture of cheese consumption in Ukraine, shape its perception as a product with its own style and taste, and strengthen the image of our country within the global dairy ecosystem.
The ProCheese Awards 2025 Festival of Cheese Art was organized by Ardis Group with the support of its general partner — the fresh cheese brand Lel’, its exclusive partner — Lactalis Ukraine, represented by Président, and the Swiss-Ukrainian Quality FOOD Trade Programme. The festival’s official partners also included Bergader, KOMO, and CHEESE CLUB, with the strategic partner being the Union of Dairy Enterprises of Ukraine.